his political offerings with a hand as cold and
unfeeling as the miser's.
I had hoped in Heaven's name, that this mis-
erable spirit of local prejudice would not dare to
have raised its head in this august body, where it
was expected the political battle-axe was to be
buried, and the petty feuds between Democrats and
Whigs were, for the time, to find no countenance
on either side; and that the paramount question of
reorganizing the old government and forming the
new Constitution was to be earnestly and honestly
considered with an eye single to the promo-
tion of the people's privileges. But we have
been doomed to sad disappointment. In the very
organization of the Convention the cloven-foot
of party shew itself, and the opposition to Reform
succeeded in obtaining the mastery. It was a po-
litical triumph—a Reform defeat! And so have
things dragged their slow length along till now.
The time and patience of the people have been
severely tested, and the Treasury drained of
an enormous amount. Still, amidst all these
disheartening appearances, the avowed Re-
formers supposed they could see the day dawn-
ing, and steadily labored on against as talented
and well organized opposition as the State could
possibly produce. Even we of the Baltimore
city delegation had begun to felicitate ourselves
that the enemy had given us over as no longer
worth the plucking. But, sir, the band of the
political spoiler had marked us for his prey, and
the day of vengeance is upon us. All seemed as
quiet as an unrippled lake, when lo! the gentle-
man from Kent, with renewed mind and vigor,
raises the storm by proposing to lest his favorite
plan of subdividing the city of Baltimore into re-
presentative districts, and announces his determi-
nation to have a vote upon that proposition per
se before he would yield the triumph. He is
about to be gratified—and quickly too I hope, Mr.
President; for I am anxious to see the strength
of such an isolated proposition in this somewhat
renowned and reconsidering body of Maryland
statesmen. I repeat, sir, let the test come, and
come quickly. The marshalling of party hosts,
and the occasional emissions of lightening-like
defiance that meet us in this hall have no terrors
for me, conscious that I am sustained in my
course by a principle having right and justice for
its supporting pillars. Of course, Mr. President,
I do not impugn the motives of any gentleman—
such a thing would be far, very far from my nature
or my inclination. But it does seem to my
po perception that there is but one of two mo-
tives to be accomplished by districting the city of
Baltimore by herself—it is either for the purpose
of defeating the Constitution we are now form-
ing, or for the purpose of acquiring partizan
power. One or the other of these motives seem
irresistible to my mind. And probably the read-
ing of an extract from the Baltimore Patriot of
the 19th April, may cause others to think with
me, or it may serve as a key to unravel the myste-
rious enthusiasm that attaches to the success of
of thus victimizing Baltimore city with certain
portions of this Convention.
Mr. S. read the extract as follows: |
"From the beginning, their eye (the eye of Lo-
cofocoism, as the writer elsewhere expresses it)
has been fixed on the absolute enjoyment of the
spoils of Baltimore. Nearly a fourth of the pop-
ulation, and quite a fourth in wealth, more than
one-third of the whole patronage of the State
offices is concentrated here. The profits of
clerks and registers, the fees of sheriffs, and pro-
secuting attorneys, the inspectors of flour and
tobacco, are of infinite value. The judicial posi-
tions will be important levers of power. The
collection of taxes remunerates largely. All
these, or as many as possible, the Locofocos desire
to see elected by the people. That means they
wish, under cover of the advocacy of popular
elections, to engross at one swoop, in a single
city, by a majority of a few hundred, full one-
third of the profitable officers of the State in
value. But Baltimore is rapidly increasing, and
soon will be decisive in every election in favor of
Locofocoism, if by any means the Whigs can be
broken down and disheartened in the city.
This will be attained by malling all officers eligi-
ble by the people in districts, of which Baltimore
undivided shall form one. No gentleman of the
Whig party from that day, residing in Baltimore,
can ever have the slightest prospect of being
elected to ana office of honor, profit or trust, which
depends on the vote of the city. Clerks, registers,
judges. State attorneys, inspectors, delegates to
the Assembly, members of Congress, are all
places made for locofocos—their inheritance and
freehold. No man has the slightest encouragement
to remain a Whig. Not a few cases of
prompt proselytes reaping signal rewards can be
called to mind. More will follow when their
only prospect of advancement lies on the Loco-
foco side. The rank and file of the Whig party,
the young men of activity and ambition, the many
who weild great influence in limited spheres, and
could look forward to hold respectable stations
in county or city politics, but could have no
hopes of the gubernatorial chair or the court of
appeals, would be disheartened, dispirited, shrink
from a useless conflict, abandon their organization
and silence their voices, till finally, in a few years,
the influence of the Whigs in the city would shrink
and wither and expire. All young men would grow
up Locofocos. Many brought up under brighter
auspices and in better principles would change
to the winning side. In ten years the great ma-
jority of Baltimore Locofocos would control the
whole State. Every general election would be-
come their field of triumph. And the thing so
much dreaded, the domination of Baltimore in
all matters of State policy, in the election of
Governor, and judges of the Court of Appeals,
would be complete. The Assembly would soon
follow, and the United States Senators would
also be gained by the Locofocos. The govern-
ment of the State will be summed up in the
dictatorship of Baltimore Locofocoism."
Comment on this extract is hardly necessary.
It carries its own antidote with it. The spoils—
THE SPOILS—a division of the offices in the city
of Baltimore, or "no man has the slightest en-
couragement to remain a Whig!" What a con- |
